Cascading plant overflowing with charms

Published 1:01 pm, Thursday, September 12, 2013

Photo: Erle Nickel

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Dorycnium hirsutum, a.k.a. hairy canary flower, has fine hairs covering its stems and leaves, belying its well-deserved reputation as a tough customer. A relative of clover, it attracts bees when flowering.

Dorycnium hirsutum, a.k.a. hairy canary flower, has fine hairs covering its stems and leaves, belying its well-deserved reputation as a tough customer. A relative of clover, it attracts bees when flowering.

Photo: Erle Nickel

Cascading plant overflowing with charms

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Gardeners are always looking for attractive cascading plants, be that for a hanging basket or as a plant to spill over the front of a planting bed. There are many fine plants for these purposes, but one that often flies under the radar is Dorycnium hirsutum, sometimes known as hairy canary flower. And that's a mystery, given this easy-to-grow perennial's charms.

Though classified as a sub-shrub that can reach 18 to 24 inches, it is far more likely to stay under a foot tall and spread out. Dorycnium's calling card is its foliage. Soft, almost felty to the touch, the 1-inch grayish-green leaves form trailing branches that slowly cover a 2-foot area. The 1 1/2-inch clusters of clover-like white flowers with pink veins appear at branch ends in summer and fall. These are followed by interesting reddish-brown, cylindrical seed pods. Dorycnium owes its common name to the fine hairs covering both the stems and the leaves, belying its well-deserved reputation as a tough customer.

Dorycnium hirsutum is found throughout much of the northern Mediterranean region, encompassing Portugal east through Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey. It is naturally at home in our own Mediterranean climate here and, once established, thrives in our dry summers.

It has many uses in the garden. Plant it among other dry garden plants, where it can be used as a high ground cover. Its cascading nature means you can situate it near the front of a rock wall, have it overflow a large planter or even use it as a border to soften hardscape. Its subtle color and texture make it a perfect complement to flowers with a bolder hue. And being related to clovers, the flowers are a must-visit destination for bees.

Did you know?

Though also known as canary clover, this dorycnium species isn't native to the Canary Islands (though other species are found there). Dorycnium hirsutum was first cultivated in Europe in 1683 but didn't show up in U.S. gardens until 1941. The genus name has a curious history. It derives from the Greek words dory (spear) and knaein (to smear), referring to the application of the poisonous sap on spears used in battle, this despite no evidence of any of the plant's species being poisonous. The Latin word hirsutus means hairy and refers to the leaves being covered with a fine hair.

Did you also know?

This plant is also identified as Lotus dorycnium.

Cultivation

Plant in full sun in fast-draining neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Water twice weekly to establish, then cut back to once a week. It is cold hardy and evergreen to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit but has been known to survive temperatures as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Prune selectively to flush out new foliage. Dorycnium has been known to self-sow.

Pests & diseases

Root rot may occur without proper drainage. Aphids and mealy bugs may present the occasional problem, but generally Dorycnium is a tough plant.

Availability

Dorycnium hirsutum can be found at Grand Lake Ace Garden Center in Oakland, at Berkeley Horticultural Nursery, at Emerisa Nursery in Santa Rosa and at Mostly Natives Nursery in Tomales.